Are criminals opportunistic or do we entice them to commit crime? You can’t help but wonder how much responsibility we must all take for leaving ourselves open to becoming victims of crime. It’s almost impossible to comprehend that there are those of us who, in an effort to warm our car or defrost the windscreen, keep our vehicle’s engines running even when we’re nowhere in sight. According to police in some cases motorists are leaving their cars running in their driveway or outside their home for up to an hour to warm up or defrost the windscreen. Thieves must rub their cold hands together when they jump in a nice warm vehicle and take off. In fact the practice prompted the police to last week liken the practice to attracting sharks to berley. In issuing a warning about the practice police made a valid point when suggesting drivers need only take a few minutes for their cars to be fit to drive. Police also warned motorists not to leave their keys in their cars even if they’re parked in locked garages or carports. It’s time we all started to take responsibility for the crime in our town. We need to ensure our cars are locked and we don’t leave our laptops, handbags and even small change behind. Tradies too need to be aware of the need to lock their toolboxes whether it’s when they’re working, at home or meeting mates for a drink. They need to lock up when they’re at jobs too. Theft from motor vehicles is as big a problem in Cowra as theft from a dwelling. In the 12 months to March there were 54 thefts from motor vehicles and 53 from dwellings. Last year there were 78 thefts from vehicles and 64 stealings from dwellings. The latest Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research figures show that 13 cars were stolen in Cowra in the year to March, compared to 20 the year before. While the figure is down this year, that’s still too many cars being stolen. The police often take the blame for high crime rates but surely some of the blame must rest with all of us who don’t adequately protect our property. Let’s all make an effort to be proactive in deterring thieves. Most important of all, let’s make sure we don’t become one of the police statistics.